Code of Conduct

We want SwiftFest to be, as much as possible, a safe and productive environment for everyone. We recognize that an utterly “safe” environment is not achievable for all possible attendees, but we commit to fostering an event that is safer, to the best of our ability. To that end, this Code of Conduct spells out behavioral expectations for all attendees (including staff, speakers, and sponsors) at the conference. SwiftFest Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event.

We hope to provide a great conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, national origin, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technological choices or experience. We invite you to help us make SwiftFest a place that is welcoming and respectful to all participants. We will not tolerate harassment of conference participants—in person or online.

Examples of harassment include offensive comments, verbal threats or demands, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of sessions or events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention. Unacceptable behavior also includes slights and negative messages, both unintended and intentional, based on appearance (sometimes called microaggressions). Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any conference setting, and are not welcome at SwiftFest.

All attendees, speakers, staff, and sponsors of SwiftFest must wear their badges during the event, with name unobscured. Anyone whose badge is not easily visible risks being asked to leave the event.

We expect all participants at SwiftFest to adhere to the Code of Conduct in all areas of the conference. This includes conference-related social events at off-site locations, in related online communities, and on social media. People asked to stop a behavior are expected to comply immediately. Behavior that violates this Code of Conduct will be swiftly addressed, and may result in a conversation about expected changes in behavior, expulsion from the conference without a refund, and/or banning from future SwiftFest events.

Need Help?

If you have questions or concerns about the Code of Conduct itself, or the behavior of any participants before, during or after the conference, reach out to any person on our safety team. You can identify safety team members by their orange SwiftFest T-shirts. We treat all discussions of the Code of Conduct and related concerns seriously.

If you are at the event, you can find an organizer by going to the front desk at the entrance to the Calderwood Pavilion or look for persons wearing staff t-shirts.

We endeavor to reply quickly to all communications–within a business day if in the days prior to or after SwiftFest, and within an hour if during the conference’s working hours (9 am to 9 pm).

Once a concern related to the Code of Conduct is raised, our team commits to the following:

We will do our best to protect the anonymity of the person(s) targeted by the behavior in question (and, if separate, the person who witnessed or is reporting the behavior in question).

We will discuss the issue with as much privacy as possible with the person making the report, so as to try to prevent retribution from others. The person bringing up the concern is welcome to have an additional person with them if that would make them feel safer, however.

We will provide a timeline estimate for next steps in response to any concerns brought up with SwiftFest staff, and update this timeline when appropriate.

We will take all concerns seriously, and will attempt to address them with appropriate measures.

While we will always err on the side of safety and treating all reports as true, we will not assume that a report being made automatically means that an action needs to be taken beyond the conversation with the person making the report.